Congenital heart defects occur in nearly 1% of human live births and many are lethal if not
surgically repaired. In addition, the genetic contribution to congenital or acquired
cardiovascular diseases that are silent at birth, but progress to cause significant disease in
later life is being increasingly appreciated. Heart development and structure are highly
conserved between mouse and human. The discoveries that are being made in this model
system are highly relevant to understanding the pathogenesis of human heart defects …